Because the Universe is Confusing
music
What the Bose Awesomephones Have Been Playing
Jul 8th
. . . whilst I have been a-dissertation writin’. Some of this playlist is Bret Easton Ellis’s fault. His new book Imperial Bedrooms has a lot of musical references, starting with its title. To be honest, this is in no particular order:
1. Elvis Costello – Beyond Belief (from the Imperial Bedroom album)
2. Elvis Costello – Tears Before Bedtime (from the Imperial Bedroom album)
3. Cloud Cult – Room Full of People in Your Head
4. Randy Newman – I Love L.A.*
5. Blitzen Trapper – Black River Killer
6. Glee Cast – Total Eclipse of the Heart
7. Cloud Cult – Hurricane & Fire Survival Guide
8. Frightened Rabbit – Fast Blood
9. Janelle Monae – Cold War
*Thanks to Bret Easton Ellis’s Imperial Bedrooms, which has the awesome line talking about the fictional author of the real life BEE books Less Than Zero and The Rules of Attraction:
There’s a chapter in his second novel, which takes place at Camden, where he parodies Clay — just another gesture, another cruel reminder of how he felt about me. Careless and not particularly biting, it was easier to shrug off than anything in the first book which depicted me as an inarticulate zombie confused by the irony of Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.”
Scotch on the Rock
Aug 16th
Scottish rock musicians seem to be all the rage in my music collection all the time. Here are a few for your consideration:
- Malcolm Middleton is your man if you want sad-happy wit. “You’re gonna break my heart I know it. But if you don’t, you’re gonna break my run of unhappiness and destroy my career.” If you like that, start with Into the Woods.
- We Were Promised Jetpacks has such an awesome name that I had to buy their album. Luckily, These Four Walls is very good. Highlights include “Conductor” and “It’s Thunder and Lightning.”
- Frightened Rabbit starts The Midnight Organ Fight with a song that refers to lepers. I think this is a play on the Latin lepus for rabbits. Well, whatever. If you like Arcade Fire but are really tired of playing their one good album over and over, you will probably want to welcome FR into your life.
Who got soul?
Aug 11th
Do you know about Afro-Punk? If the answer is no: FAIL. Originally a film, now a thriving social networking site, Afro-Punk is an unstoppable and glorious phenomenon.
As Mos Def said in his piece “Rock ‘n Roll”:
I said, Elvis Presley ain’t got no soul (huh)
Chuck Berry is rock and roll (damn right)
You may dig on the Rolling Stones
But they ain’t come up with that style on they own (uh-uh)
And while you’re checking out the Afro-Punk website, allow The Cocker Spaniels to tell you what it’s like to be the only Black guy at the indie rock show. I can vouch for the verity of the lyrics.
Are you my rock nerd?
Aug 10th
For your sensual playsure, Spinner Canada has compiled The 10 Biggest Geeks in Music. A few important facts about this list:
- The legion is everywhere. 20% of the list are Harvard graduates.
- Tom Morello is my favorite person on this list.
- RZA is a founder of the fantastic hip-hop nerdsite WuChess.
- Devo was right about everything. Attery Squash says so and we at 12 pt. concur.
Are we not men?
